I’ve got Questions: You got Answers?

Are there questions that need asking, but are unfair to ask? I suppose, but then I suppose it depends who (or is it whom?) you ask. What does it mean when you claim to be a human being? What sort of creature, character, invention, mistake of nature, is a human, or at least, a human of earth in particular? How do you define a generic human being, for the sake of argument agreeing for the moment that “we are not alone” and there are lots and lots of “other” humans out there among the fiery stars?

Maybe I should approach it from the opposite end: what isn’t a human being? Is it everything else that exists that isn’t Homo Sapiens, or very similar in shape and deportment as HS? And is it pushing the envelope to notice that HS also stands for Homeland Security? Why does Homo Sapiens require “security” from something or someone, all the time? Why does the character always feels threatened; always needs some sort of safety net around her/him? Family, tribe, clan, separate group, government, a god, a police, a military, insurance, guarantees… knowing it’s born to die and there are no life guarantees worth the paper they might be printed on?

Here’s one that tends to make a lot of people uncomfortable, but fits in with the need to hide, to be protected: the wearing of clothes. I’ve never been able to understand why earth humans feel this instantaneous and deep shame if caught naked, exceptions being lovers at a certain level of their ephemeral steamy relationships and of course little children in their short-lived age of innocence. Why the shame? Why the fear? Why the shamers? And why the laws against public nudity? Come on, Why? What’s really behind this control?

OK, I’ve brought that up: we can’t go naked, it’s shameful. Wow. How come it isn’t shameful to condemn millions to death in order to spend zillions on war? Tell me that! Why isn’t it shameful to kill innocents in war? Why isn’t war a collectively felt ultimate shameful act? War is not just about monetary profits; millions support war, and cheer on the warmongers even when such wars are dispossessing them and their families; even when such wars bring the dragon closer and closer to home. We’re in it right now; we can all see it happening. Join up, go to Pakistan, to Libya, to wherever, doesn’t matter, just be ready to kill innocents in their own countries because… the point being? The point being that the shame of such acts simply does not register on the human conscience, at least not in any significant level that could raise some doubt. The point being that Earthians love war – they can’t have enough of the violence and if they can’t get it as the real thing, they’ll seek it in various aspects of their entertainment. Watch the movies, read the books, play the games…

There’s a truly great word that describes man’s acts on this world: dysfunctionality. Dysfunctionality increases exponentially, following the population curve. The more people, the more dysfunction; the less thinking; the more knee-jerk reactions and knee-jerk reactions to reactions. The world, it seems, is on the verge of turning into mob rule – as if that wasn’t already the case! What are rogue states that ignore and routinely violate international agreements on aggression, such as the United States, but mob rule legitimizing itself with a thinning veneer of civilized government control? What makes that work? Collective denial. Another example of a rogue state? Britain. What makes that collapsing fake democracy function? Same thing: collective denial and some remaining pathetic belief that a change of party rule can make a difference, when all that is, is the carrot on the stick, while the stick is getting longer and the carrot smaller. Speaking of rogue states, why don’t I mention China and Russia? I probably would, if I knew more of their internal politics. Not mentioning them doesn’t mean I’m ignoring them.

These pseudo-countries, these mobs, well, they’re made up of people, aren’t they. Look at how so many Americans are now vociferously blaming Trump, or those other potuses’ for the mess they are in. Hello, who voted them in and cheered them on, deliberately or willy nilly? If you live in a democracy, or if you at least believe you do and at the very least vote, then you’re admitting that you’re the one to “blame” for the state of the union, or the nation. That’s how it is, unless you choose not to participate and walk to a different drummer.

War, murder, killing: tell me, Is there ever a morally defensible reason for someone who considers himself a member of the human race, to kill a child?

Do you have an answer to that? This isn’t an “ethical” question or a debatable one. Before you answer, consider whether you are a member of a “democracy” which means that through participation in the process you are equally accountable for the death of a child if such death resulted from your “democracy’s” exploitative, oppressive, illegal, martial activities. Remember that every nation, in one form or another, is involved in these murderous activities. Where are the clean, the bloodless hands, in today’s world? Every Earthian human (or pseudo-human) being has innocent blood dripping from hands, teeth and lips.

Based on the above, are Earthians, human beings? Let’s see: what are some particular character traits that define a human being?

First and foremost, to mean anything at all, a human being must have a compassionate nature, that’s a given.

More character traits of a real human, as given to me by my Teacher, Phaelon, some years ago:

A human is innately self-sacrificing.

A human never takes another’s life but would give its own to save another, regardless of who that other is. For the human, such a sacrifice could never be for personal gain or recognition.

A human never needs, or experience the need, to protect itself: it is not a predator, nor ever a victim.

A human being doesn’t recognize any other as an enemy. (It takes a higher level mind to grasp what that means.)

By those basic descriptions, how many human beings are you personally acquainted with and how does this acquaintance affect the way you think, speak and act?

Human? Well being a civil servant retired I still have an ingrained propensity to file and label, but truth be known I don’t think about it much beyond that.
As an ‘event’ in Earth’s history we are no different from any other life forms which have lived thereupon other than our capacity to radically change to environment (although the cynobacteria of 2.45 billion years ago causing the Oxygen Revolution have got us beat so far) I take comfort from the sights of ordinary folk’s generosity and courage during recent outrages; it’s important for me personally otherwise I slip into the spiral of violent response against violence and violent intolerance of Intolerance and just join the sorry mess side of things.

I understand that, Roger. In times of disaster and war, ordinary people are moved to do extraordinary things for others. Suddenly it seems, the innate selfish nature is pushed aside for a while, and for some, the experience changes them. But that exposes the real problem, that without the disaster, there is another mindset at work, one that allows and justifies evil. That was the gist of my question. Why do we need the proliferation of evil to make us realize what we are doing wrong? Why was nothing done in the case of that apartment building that went up in smoke? Or the water in Flint (USA)? Why are so many willing to give away their hard earned money to pay for military equipment used to kill innocent civilians when that money should be used to alleviate poverty and re-build the nation’s infrastructure? That’s THE question. It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We can engage “cures” but we’re woefully poor at prevention.

Good points Sha’Tara. From a semi-scientific viewpoint I would suggest we have advanced in our enquiring and tool-solving capacities, but we have not matured beyond the days that tribes fought over animal carcasses.
In this we may well have our own extinction imprint writ large.
I hope not because th majority of people on the world are worth saving.
Best wishes
Roger.

Perhaps, although I am not a proponent of “evolution” in the raw sense. I know that things change, and that many creatures can adapt to changes, but sadly I don’t see man, as a species, improving – I observe the opposite actually. I think that we have been given the means to “evolve” in a spirit/mind way but have chosen to put our collective eggs in the material/technological basket and that has already doomed our current civilization. We can take comfort in the sporadic acts of good will by some people in disaster response, but can we honestly apply this micro observation to the entire species, the macro, and say, “Look, we’re getting better.”?

That’s what I observe. However that neither disappoints nor causes me to jump into condemnatory judgment. To me, that means “I” have to be the change I wish to see in the world (I know, a cliche, but how true!) and the hard part: to be satisfied with that particular effort and die knowing that’s what I worked at. The rest must take care of itself, but at least it has/had a model it could have/can emulate. This stance allows one (me!) to live a life fulfilled with my own efforts and without stress. And like the rock on the beach, I know I don’t decide either the height of the tides, nor the tempo of the waves. Wow… waxing my flossofical nature here… 🙂

Very thought-provoking read Sha’Tara. To answer your question; a few people have come into my life with the above-mentioned character traits albeit very few. They affected the way I think, speak and act by allowing me to see my own inner strength and moving forward into self-empowerment, I’m speaking of selfless, strong, compassionate women I met many years ago in an old recovery house that became my ‘home’ for 3 months of my life. Incredible experience!

Again, I can say I understand that. But that seems to be part of the problem: believing that because a few “good” people make a difference in a few people’s lives, this means things overall are good, or getting better. You give a $10 bill to a hungry homeless person while Donald Trump hands over $10 billion in military equipment to Saudi Arabia, and the crowd cheers Trump. I can’t find much of a balance in this that says humanity is getting better, sorry.

In an attempt to answer, or partially answer your question, it came to me on waking this morning that in the distant past I had read all of Velikovsky’s books. I think, but don’t quote me, it’s been a while, that he examines this question in ‘Mankind in Amnesia’, the one about our psychology anyway?
He tells us that violence arises from suppressed homosexuality. It gives rise to suppressed violent memories from history. The horror of historical (in Velikovsky’s case cosmic) disasters etc. subconsciously installed in our psyche and passed down from our ancestors, that come to the fore.

It’s no coincidence that Wilhelm Reich a few years earlier, had told the Nazi’s the exact same thing and eventually became infamous for being the only man/or woman to have his books burned on two continents. So it seems to me that this is quite common knowledge among the psychology fraternity, but never mentioned to us proles.

About half of the population of the western world are wannabes, they envy the powerful, rich and famous. Looking around, it also seems to me that such repressed and violent people rise to high office and enjoy high esteem among the general public. They are given prestigious awards and we are encouraged by the media and education to revere such persons. I hope this is beginning to make some sense?

The UK BBC broadcasting corporation is a microcosmic example of this in action with more famous perverts per square metre than you can shake a stick at. I hope this helps!

BTW Re: the last post: It occurred to me that if you reverse “I think therefore I am” it becomes ‘I don’t think therefore I am not’. Somehow it is very comforting to me to be in possession of the knowledge that everything in this world is a lie. : )
cadxx

Quoting Velikovsky, you wrote: “He tells us that violence arises from suppressed homosexuality.” Certainly he was on to something big there, hence why the ult-right is so anti homoxexuality: they want the social violence, it’s a cornerstone of their oppressive system. As a transgender myself, therefore with a personal stake in this discussion, I’d say that repressed sexuality, or any kind of psychological repression will lead to sociopathic violence. There is no doubt in my mind that repressed sexuality leads to misogyny. We already know it gives rise to prostitution and sex slavery, giving rise to a kind of universal violence that was not evident in pre-civilized tribal systems. I see many other factors that lead to violence also: repression in areas of education only for the rich; health care only for the rich; denial of basic legal rights for the poor in the justice system; police brutality, overt or covert racism, organized religions that preach slavish submission to bosses and rulers, on it goes. All violent revolutions happen as a result of these things. But before the pressure rises enough for revolution to happen, yes, you have the wannabes who worship success and find some gratification in cheering on the tiny minority of the successful, be they entertainers, politicians of billionaire televangelists. A most uncomfortable calm before the storm. If, however, the status quo can be maintained while the smaller fires of revolution are put out, we could be in for long days in the doldrums of a phony and uncomfortable “peace.”

We are an animal. No different from the rest. We have evolved to be cruel. It’s because we lack physical defences. Our cruelty is mistaken for intelligence. We have no inhibitions about killing anything if it is in our interest. Sure we have redeeming qualities. Thanks to Phaelon for pointing it out (I hope you are not paying this guy). They are the same instincts that makes a cow moose chase us on the trail when a calf is hidden is in the alders. There is some Bighorns out there butting heads. Most of us stand around going ‘Holy Shit’. It’s no wonder we don’t try to fix the problems of the world. Sure there is more of us than them, but we can’t even muster the courage to take on the little opportunists that make up our town council and school board.

Quote: “We are an animal. No different from the rest. We have evolved to be cruel. It’s because we lack physical defences” Unfortunately that is an incorrect observation. Except, perhaps in a very narrow physical way, we are totally different than “the rest” and we demonstrate this through our religions, politics and certainly our science and technology. We also claim to be more than just animals but the results of such claims makes us, as a species, much lower than the lowest of the non-human species. We plan murder and genocide, not because it is necessary but because we enjoy gratuitous violence, and we never get sated from the levels of unnecessary violence we unleash against others, as witness the twentieth century and things aren’t improving having entered into the 21st. Prior to our much vaunted civilization, many tribal groups existed and survived without our civilized violence, yet they too “lacked physical defences” but somehow didn’t resort to crazed violence to make up for their lack. Just thought I’d point that out. There are probably some Darwinist counter arguments but I’m an observer, not a believer. Phaelon would have a hearty laugh at your comment… 🙂 As for taking on the local political sociopaths… I’ve done that in the past and I can tell you, they are just as nasty and dangerous as the big ones with the really big names. Same fangs.